CONNOISSEUR'S
FRANCE"Vive le Shopping"This
itinerary may be reserved as a private departure with a date of
your choosing.

Introduction

Paris
is a treasure-trove of bargains for those in the know. A privileged
few will follow me, along with our local expert, Antoinette, into
the inner workings of the Parisian shopping world. Our experiences
will range from artisan ateliers, to outdoor markets, to high fashion
boutiques, to 200- year old shopping malls, to a two-year old outlet
village. We will be immersed in the history of time and place,
and regaled with stories of a bygone age while we dip into a modern
Pandora’s box of endless baubles, antiques, and even junk. We
dine every day like the locals only wish they could – mostly casual,
but sometimes quite fine – and always delicious.

Today’s
Paris is ready to welcome you to its present, as well as into its
past. Her shopping underworld awaits your visit. I hope
that you will join me in this very buisness-like exercise in excess
and indulgence.

Tour
Overview

Upon
arrival into Paris on September 20th we are met
and taken to our lovely hotel on the Left Bank, the Victoria
Palace. After a brief respite to settle we officially
start our trip with a champagne lunch in the heart of bustling St
Germain desPres followed by a two-hour
relaxing, easygoing tour with van and driver of some of the Paris
highlights which we won’t be exploring on foot: Sacre Coeur, Eiffel
Tower, Champs Elysees, Invalides, Arc de Triomphe. We will return
to the hotel by 5:00 p.m. for those who want to call it a day.
For those who don’t, we will have a little cocktail party in the
hotel lounge prior to either retiring or continuing on for an optional
evening out.

Sunday
is market day: Clignancourt Market that is. Clignancout
has about 2,500 stalls, most of which are quite interesting and
distinctive. Specialties include: antique posters, postcards,
clothing, jewelry, china dolls, beads, toy cars, Art Deco lamps,
along with an array of bric-a-brac, old kitchen pots, rustic dressers
and tables, vintage Lalique, chandeliers, and Napoleon III furniture.
Indeed, something for everyone. Bring cash to barter with. We
also have a very reliable shipping agent who will send home our
purchases so you may throw caution to the winds. After our day
at the market, you will have a few hours to rest and recoup, or
to celebrate your finds in the hotel’s cozy bar, before we meet
again for dinner.

Monday
is “mall” day. We visit Le Vallee, which opened
about two years ago. It is like a provincial market town where
the shops are little maisonettes lining both sides of the street.
These are all high quality, designer or top-of-the-range street
brands – more upmarket than the outlet malls with which we are all
familiar. Prices run between 33% and 60% below retail. We will
break for lunch – something light like salads and pastries. Squeeze
in a bit more shopping after lunch before we head back into town.
If you are energetic we will have some additional surprise shopping
possibilities in store.

On
Tuesday we go back in time through the arcades of the Palais
Royal. Housing cafés, theatres, shops and apartments,
the arcades of Palais Royal during the 17th century became a meeting
place for people from all walks of life. But what was hidden behind
those facades? The cafes saw pre-revolutionary plotting and the
Palais Royal became known as a hotbed of gambling dens and prostitution.
Today the gardens are one of Paris' most elegant and tranquil
spots. Many shops under the arcades sell prints, antiques, clothes,
home décor and many more beautiful boutiques still maintain their
old world ambience. This walk takes us through tiny streets leading
to the charming glass-roofed galleries and enchanting passages that
weave their way through Paris’ boulevards. Lunch will be on an exhilarating
open air market street along our route. After lunch we continue
our walk to shop, followed by a brief break before dinner at one
of the city’s most beautiful brasseries.

On
Wednesday we begin our explorations with the ancient abbey of St.
Germain, moving on to art galleries, fabulous home décor
shops, literary cafes (the post-war “intellectual” hangouts and
the birthplace of existentialism), the famous Beaux Art, Picasso’s
mansion, the hotel where Oscar Wilde died, the cafes of the jazz
era, and the extravagant zazous. This takes us right into the
boutiques and picturesque shopping are of St. Sulpice.
We break for lunch at a local bistro, only to continue our shopping
tour de force in the area. Dinner is at a tres hip place
just off the Champs Elysees.

Thursday
is for the exploration of artisan’s Paris. We
will discover the passages, back alleys, and courtyards covered
in ivy where artisans still ply their crafts: cabinetmakers, carpenters,
gilders, and ceramicists, to name a few. It is rapidly changing
into the “design” area of Paris, with fabulous lofts and sleek design
showrooms, mingled with old world cafes. We will wander through
the open-air markets, and finish up in a beautiful garden. In the
afternoon we head to a wholesale French provencal shop selling housewares
and décor items. Dinner
is at a lively contemporary bistro in the heart of St. Germain des
Pres – quite casual and delicious.

On
Friday we follow the chic-est of the French to the Depot-Ventes
– French-style second-hand designer clothing of the highest quality.
We will also spend some time exploring the “stock” shops – high-end
labels sold through their outlets. We could easily spend all day
doing this, but we will allow time for special requests, or to revisit
something you just can’t get off your mind. This evening we will
dine at a very special place to celebrate our triumphs so pull out
your finery and we will go out in style.

Find
Out More

NB:
This itinerary may be reserved as a private departure with a date
of your choosing.

For more
tour details, availability and pricing, we invite you to contact us: